The First Prehistoric Record of Mauremys mutica (Testudines: Geoemydidae) from the Yaeyama Islands, Southern Ryukyus, Japan

Abstract

Skeletal remains of the geoemydid turtle, Mauremys mutica, were recovered from the lower layer of the Tugurubama archeological site on Yonagunijima Island, which corresponds to the period from the late middle to early late Holocene (ca., 4,000 yBP). These represent the first concrete evidence for the prehistoric occurrence of this turtle in the Yaeyama Islands and offer strong support for the indigenous nature of the current Yaeyama populations of M. mutica.